A drunk driver struck and injured two people on bicycles last spring. She recently pleaded guilty in court regarding the incident. The 38-year-old woman pleaded guilty to charges of DUI causing permanent injuries. As a result of the plea, prosecutors will seek a maximum prison term that won’t exceed five years. The court will sentence her on March 7, 2018.
The accident at issue in this case happened on May 14, 2017, at approximately 2 a.m., along 19th street, not far from the Virginia Beach Convention Center. According to legal documents, a police officer witnessed the woman speeding just before the incident. The officer was driving on the opposite side of the road when he witnessed the woman driving in her 2002 Nissan. The officer turned around to follow the woman when he discovered two women on the ground and saw a bicycle being dragged by the Nissan.
Doctors report that one of the female bicycle accident victims had a fractured skull, a broken pelvis and a brain bleed. The other female bicyclist had a broken leg that needed surgery to correct.
Officers say that the female driver had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .26 percent when the accident happened. This represents a BAC that was more than triple the legal limit of .8 percent.
When a driver hits and seriously injures a bicyclist because he or she was intoxicated, the driver will face serious legal consequences in criminal court. The evidence from these criminal court proceedings may also be used by victims to pursue financial claims in civil court relating to their injuries.
Source: The Virginian-Pilot, “Drunken driver who seriously injured 2 bicyclists at the Oceanfront pleads guilty,” Jane Harper, accessed Dec. 06, 2017